1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rack mount device and, more specifically, to a rack mount device equipped with a rack loaded device such as an electronic device and the like, which can be easily connected and released to/from a rack.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, IT device systems and NW device systems have rack loaded devices suited for designated functions loaded on a plurality of racks in a composite manner to achieve optimization. Further, improvements in the performances and functions of such IT devices and NW devices are prominent, so that frequencies of exchanges, expansions, and the like of the devices have been increased accordingly. It is necessary to expand and exchange those devices online.
Known is a technique that is developed to support rack plates or the like on which various devices are loaded to mount angles or mount rails attached to a rack (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication 2003-159129 (Patent Document 1), for example).
As an example of an L-type rail attaching structure disclosed in Patent Document 1, there is shown a structure in which the L-type rail is divided to two slidable parts on the front and rear sides for making it possible to change the length of the L-type rail.
In this structure, parallel pins are attached to the front end part of the front rail and the rear end part of the rear rail of the L-type rail. Those parallel pins are inserted to attachment holes of the mount angles and the mount rails. Thereafter, attachment screws are inserted through optimum screw holes among a plurality of attachment screw holes formed on the front rail and the rear rail to be fastened.
Further, there are also mount kits used for rack loaded devices, which employ a one-touch mechanism. In most of those mount kits, a lock part thereof is directly operated to release the lock of the one-touch mechanism.
However, in the rack mount device of the Patent Publication described above, first, the parallel pins of either one of the rails are inserted into the pin attachment holes of the mount angle. Thereafter, the other rail is slid to the mount rail side, and the parallel pins of that rail are inserted to the pin attachment holes of the mount rail. Then, both rails are slid to be in a stretched state, and attachment screws are inserted into the attachment holes of both rails for fastening the rails to keep that state. This requires a lot of efforts and troublesome works.
Further, since both rails are fastened by inserting the attachment screws into the attachment holes of the both rails, the attachment screws may be loosened and the both rails may be contracted due to an oscillation and the like if the fastening force is weak. If so, the parallel pins of the both rails come out, and the L-type rail is detached from the mount rail. As a result, the rack loaded device placed on the top face of the L-type rail falls down, and it may be damaged.
Further, when the parallel pins are inserted completely into the pin attachment holes of the mount rail and the like, it may not be always possible to find the optimum attachment screw holes for keeping that state among the plurality of attachment screw holes of the rail and the like. Thus, even when the attachment screws are inserted into the attachment screw holes in a condition closest to optimum to be fastened, the entire length of the L-type rail becomes short. As a result, there is a play generated in the lengthwise direction between the parallel pins on the both ends of the L-type rail and the pin attachment holes of the mount rail or the like. In that case, after the rack loaded device is mounted to the L-type rail, the rack loaded device may become shifted for the amount of the play due to an oscillation and the like. This may impose an adverse effect on the rack loaded device.
Furthermore, the lock part for fixing the mount kit to the rack is provided to the one-touch function of the mount kit used for the rack loaded device, and the lock part is provided to the back face of the mount kit in most of the cases. A stopper is provided to the lock part, so that it is necessary to release the stopper by inserting a hand to the back face of the rack mount kit for releasing the lock.
On the above and the underneath of the rack loaded device, devices such as other rack loaded devices are placed without a space. In such state, it is necessary to insert the hand to the back face of the mount kit further into the narrow gap to release the stopper for releasing the lock when exchanging the rack mount kit. This work therefore is difficult, so that the efficiency of exchange work becomes poor.
In the worst case, the devices above and underneath the device to be exchanged may also need to be detached once. This is not suitable for online maintenance, and the devices to be employed may become limited.
Further, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication 2000-332877 (Patent Document 4) discloses a tool for hanging an electric communication device on a wall. This tool of Patent Document 4 is capable of changing the dimensions in the width direction and the height direction. However, with this tool, the tool main body needs to be fixed to the wall with a bolt. Therefore, there is a difficulty in its attachment and detachment.
Furthermore, Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication 61-109189 (Patent Document 2) discloses a structure for mounting a package of an electronic component to a shelf, which is structured to have a part of plate spring attached to the package engaged with a perpendicular face of the shelf. However, this structure needs a devise for being applied to the rack mount device, and it cannot be applied as it is.
Further, Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication 03-067476 (Patent Document 3) discloses a structure for attaching an electronic device to a mount. With this structure, the electronic device is loaded and detached to/from the mount by utilizing the principle of the lever. Since the principle of the lever is used, the mechanism itself becomes large-scaled. Thus, this structure cannot be applied to the rack mount device as it is, and it is necessary to apply a devise to be employed to the mount rack device.